Signed TPP deal leaves Australians in the dark

More transparency needed

Trade ministers have now signed off on negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, even though the details of the agreement are yet to be released to the public.

CHOICE'S Campaigns Manager Erin Turner says it's absurd that the trade minister has committed Australia to a deal the public has never seen.

"The TPP has been described as a transformational, modern agreement that will deliver huge benefits for the citizens of nations involved. These claims have been made with no independent assessment and no cost-benefit analysis of the Agreement of Australia," Ms Turner says.

Trade Agreements don't only affect import and export; they intrude into areas that affect everyday consumer rights. The agreement will impact our access to, and the cost of, goods and services such as medicines and country of origin labelling.

CHOICE is calling for the Government to commit to a full cost-benefit analysis of the TPP before Australia signs on to a set of complex new rules governing everything from financial regulations to copyright provisions.

The agreement has the potential to impact every aspect of the Australian economy.

"It's too big to ignore the fine print – which is why we need a full and transparent assessment of its impact before it's too late," said Ms Turner.

More than 7,400 Australians signed a CHOICE petition calling for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to release the text of the TPP before it was signed.